Of Redheads, Warriors, and Best Friends
by R011ingThunder
Summary: Gray Fullbuster: very single and completely hopeless at this relationship thing. While Gray's working through Erza's implied rejection, Loke and Cana stage an intervention by taking him clubbing. Will Gray meet his new flame or will it all go up in flames? Gray crackships, ahoy! [Mazeverse] Gray x random girls, unrequited Grayza undertones
1. Chapter 1

_**Erza**'s taking a mission at Crime Sorciere, going after the man she thought she always wanted. Is she leaving behind the man she thought she'd always have?  
**Natsu** has friend-zoned himself, leaving **Lucy** and **Lisanna** in the lurch. He'd rather avoid them both than risk being a two-timer like **Gray**.  
**Gray** (not actually a two-timer) just can't seem to catch a break. Maybe he just wasn't meant for romantic happiness. Or maybe it's time for a new direction.  
**Mira**'s stuck in the past, unable to accept that **Laxus** has his sights set elsewhere. __**Freed**'s never, never giving up on her, even if that means a broken heart.  
**Juvia**'s having second thoughts about **Gray**, but **Lyon**'s ready to call it quits. Can she get her feelings sorted out in time, or will she be left with nothing?  
And **Toby**'s dating **Jenny Realight**. The Jenny Realight. Wait, what?!  
_

_Something's gotta give._

__This is the Mazeverse series, a post-Tenrou AU _____where we put your ships in a blender and beat 'til smooth_. __Lyvia, __Jerza, ______Grayza, __Nalu, Nali, Lolu, Graylu, Bixanna, Gale, ElfEver, Miraxus, Laxana, MiraFreed as well as a handful of crackships and rare-pairs as we try to pair the spares. This is the Mazeverse. No ship is safe ;)__

* * *

**Happy Friday!**

**I'm not sure what to say about this one. This is Mazeverse at it's wackiest. The concept behind this fic was one of the original inspirations for the entire series (or a major driver, at least).**

**If you're new to the series, no worries. All you need is a little suspension of disbelief for how we (and Gray) got here in the first place.**

**For long-time readers, this story takes place directly after last week's hangover Gray story. I like to think of this as the fallout.**

**Irina: Good observation-I _do_ think Cana is underappreciated! :) Most people see her as The Drunk One, but I think there's more to her than that. I would go as far as to say that if I had to pick a successor for Makarov (that isn't Erza), I would seriously consider Cana. It sounds a little bit bizarre, but I think that under the right circumstances, she has what it takes to buckle down and take care of business. It wouldn't be by choice, but I think she'd be good at it. Plus, I think she's a watcher. A girl who grew up siting by herself in the corner and nursing a beer, probably spends half of her time watching others. As for Laxus, he reminds me a little of Shrek (like an onion... lol). Thanks for the kind words of support. It always feels good to know that I'm in others' thoughts. :) Let's have some fun this week.**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

"Hey, man. You doing anything tonight?" asked Loke.

The question was casual. Too casual.

Gray arched a wary eyebrow. "Um, no? Why…?"

Loke grinned broadly. "Well, then. You and me are going out tonight!" he said, pumping a fist in the air.

"Hate to break it to you, buddy, but I kinda prefer girls. Thought you did too," said Gray, missing the point on purpose.

"No, no, no. We're going _clubbing_," said Loke, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And _why_ are we doing this?" asked Gray, eying Loke with a frown.

"_I'm_ going out because it's a fun thing to do on a Friday night," started Loke.

"That's not really my idea of fun," said Gray.

The lights. The pounding music. The stench of sweaty bodies pressed together. That was not Gray's idea of a good time, though it was certainly preferable to a trip to the dentist or one of Master Markarov's more creative punishments.

"_You're_ coming with, 'cause a little birdie told me you needed to get out more," said Loke, ignoring his protests.

Gray let out an impatient breath. He wasn't in the mood for this nonsense. "That little birdie wouldn't happen to be named Cana, would she?" asked Gray.

Ever since his little drinking game with Cana last week, the girl had been all about sticking her nose into things that were none of her business. Gray was still working on piecing together what exactly he'd said when the alcohol loosened his tongue and made him loopy, but he had a feeling that it had been far more than he should have.

Loke waved his hand dismissively. "Details. So, are you coming or what? What better way to get your mind off of Juvia than to pick up some girls at a club?"

Gray rolled his eyes. His mind wasn't on Juvia, but there was no sense explaining that to Loke. Besides, he didn't want to talk about _her_ either.

"It's time to move on, man," said Loke gently.

Loke hit the nail on the head, even if he didn't know it. It was time for Gray to face the truth, no matter how much it killed him.

She had left, and she wasn't planning on coming back. Not for him, at least.

Did she have her lacrima or didn't she? Was she stuck undercover or not? She really needed to decide so she could get her story straight. She had said that she was incommunicado and that she was stuck at Crime Sorcière's secret headquarters without any way to reach anyone.

Of course, he didn't really believe her crap excuses. He wasn't stupid.

She'd managed to call him from someone's lacrima. Clearly, _not_ so incommunicado. She had even been asking him about how to add numbers and favorite some of her new contacts.

And all that stuff about not being able to come back hadn't been true either. She had come back and even stopped by the guild to talk to a few of the others. She had even gone back to pick up some things from Fairy Hills… like her hairdryer.

Somehow _a hairdryer_ was worth coming back to Magnolia for.

But him? No.

Gray was the poor chump she called when it was the middle of the night and she wanted a shoulder to cry on.

Understanding your place in the world when compared to a _freaking_ _hairdryer_ really helped to put things into perspective.

Suddenly, going clubbing didn't sound like a bad idea.

"Yeah, okay," said Gray. "I'll go."

"But you can't keep—wait, really? Sweet." Loke looked pleased, despite the surprise in his eyes.

"I see you boys are taking my advice." Cana sashayed up to them, dark hair bouncing. The perpetrator, in the flesh.

"Birdie, darling!" teased Loke, grinning.

"I knew it," muttered Gray, scowling.

"Eh?" Cana raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I don't even want to know." She planted a hand on her hip, blue nails drumming against her guild mark. "So, are you guys ready to go or what?"

"Yeah, we are. But unfortunately, Cana, dear, you aren't coming with us," Loke said apologetically.

"What? What gives?" she protested.

Loke adjusted his shades. "This is a _guys'_ night out. You're not a guy."

"But it was totally my idea!" Cana held up a magic card between two fingers. The words _Call Loke_ were written on it.

"Doesn't make you a guy," said Loke.

"Fine," said Cana. "Then I'll have to get the girls together instead. Then we'll have a _girls'_ night out."

"Tryin' to find Gray _other_ girls. You're not really helping right now," Loke hissed.

"I'm standing right here," Gray reminded them.

Cana continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I'll get Lucy and Levy and Wendy and… and… and Juvia! It's a shame Erza's out, or she'd come too."

Gray froze, _her_ name making his breath catch.

"L-Lucy?" choked Loke.

"Something wrong, hotshot?" Cana grinned triumphantly. Then she turned her attention to Gray. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," Gray shrugged, schooling his features into a mask of calm. "Just that Wendy's too young to be going out," he interjected coolly. "We don't need her turning into you."

"Say what?!" Cana squawked, flapping her arms in offense.

Gray laughed as Cana sputtered.

Tonight might turn out to be okay.

* * *

"Hang on. Let me see if the Pegasus guys are here yet," said Loke, looking around. Gray marveled at his guildmate's ability to wear sunglasses in a place like this. The strobing lights made it hard enough to see what was going on.

"Blue Pegasus?" Gray shouted, trying to make himself heard over the music. "Why would we want to do anything with them?"

Cana draped an arm around Gray's shoulders, pulling him closer. "They're great fun and all, but they're also total chick magnets," she whispered. "Besides, Hibiki's getting over a breakup too. This'll be perfect, you'll see…"

"Looks like the party's here. Hey, guys." Loke nodded at the newcomers.

The taller of the two had sandy brown hair and sophisticated-looking features. The other was younger and blond, with an almost casual innocence about him. Gray recognized them as Hibiki and Eve, two of the Trimens from their joint mission against the Oración Seis.

Hibiki bumped fists with Loke and pulled Cana into a quick hug. "Hey, Fairies!" he grinned.

"Great to see you guys again," said Eve. "Who's this you've brought?" he asked, nodding towards Gray with a friendly grin.

"Don't you remember? He's Lyon's friend," Hibiki said. "Your name's Gray, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't call us friends exactly…" said Gray, wondering how they managed to associate him with Lyon instead of Natsu or Lucy.

"The other ice mage!" said Eve, brightening. He and Hibiki exchanged glances, grinning.

"Now that we've gotten introductions out of the way… night's a-wastin'," said Loke. "Come on. There are lovely ladies calling my name!" He gestured toward the center of the room, where a girl in a crop-top danced energetically. From this distance, Gray couldn't tell if it was just her hair or if she actually _had_ cat ears.

"Good idea," said Eve.

Hibiki started to follow, but Cana pulled him back.

"Oh, no, you don't!" she crowed. "You're playing Power Hour with me! Sixty shots, sixty minutes. You up for it?"

"Oh, you're _on_, Miss Cana," purred Hibiki. "How could I possibly refuse a gorgeous thing like you?"

"I want to hear you say that after I drink you under the table. What about you, Gray?" she asked. "Shots?"

Gray snorted. "Yeah, no thanks." He'd learned his lesson. Never drink with Cana.

"You're no fun!" she pouted. "Come on, Hibiki," she said, slinging an arm over his shoulders.

Gray watched as they disappeared into the crowd. Somehow, he doubted this was what Loke and Cana had intended when they dragged him out tonight. But he wasn't complaining. In all their years of friendship, Gray had never been quite as much of a partier as Cana and Loke were.

A flash of red caught Gray's eye. Gray found himself wheeling around on instinct. It couldn't be…

* * *

**Oh, he didn't...**

**So... how much of a sucker do you think Gray is? XD**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] Of Redheads, Warriors and Best Friends_****: **_It was probably petty, but he was still kind of pissed at her for the hairdryer comment. But for some reason, his feet were moving and he was following the bright red hair._ **Guess who?**

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Friday! We'll talk at the end, 'cause I don't want to spoil it.  
**

**Irina: One of my favorite quotes is: "The first sight of love is the last sight of wisdom." It can make people a little irrational. But ****Erza's being pretty ridiculous, so ****I don't think Gray's being irrational here. He is a sucker... and he's been that the whole time. He seems to be the sort of person who holds onto the past and bottles up, if that makes sense. Outwardly, he acts like he's all cool and stuff, but I think he's secretly sensitive and sentimental. I'm not sure what specific things give me that impression, but that's my read on him. Thanks again!**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Not daring to breath, Gray pushed his way into the throng of bodies, not entirely sure why he was doing so.

He didn't actually want to see her. Didn't actually want to talk to her.

It was probably petty, but he was still kind of pissed at her for the hairdryer comment.

But for some reason, his feet were moving and he was following the bright red hair.

Shouldering his way past a person wearing a jack-o-lantern, Gray managed to catch up with the vision in red. She had long crimson hair pulled back in a braid that went over her shoulder. A daring scarlet cocktail dress revealed her bare back and long legs. Even from behind, she was beautiful.

Gray tried to remind himself that he was supposed to be annoyed with her. He was supposed to be trying to forget about her, but he could feel himself grinning, in spite of himself.

"Hey," he said. He reached out, tapping her gently on the shoulder. "Didn't think I'd run into you here. What happened to your mission?"

The woman spun around, her eyes wide. A shy look pulled at a pretty, but unfamiliar, face.

"Sorry…" Gray muttered, retracting his hand hastily. "Thought you were someone else."

The woman's shyness quickly melted into a brazen grin. "Sorry…" she said, mocking his tone with palpable sarcasm. She tilted her head, smiling coyly. "Looks like _you're_ disappointed," she purred.

"No! Um… Well…" he sputtered. "I wouldn't say that," he tried, with an apologetic shrug.

But she didn't seem bothered by it, instead cackling at the expression on his face. "Flare," she offered.

"Gray."

She looked him over. Her startling ruby eyes seemed to bore through his core. "Ice-Mage, right?" she asked.

"How'd ya know?" he said.

She leaned in, placing a hand on his chest. "I can see it in your heart," she whispered solemnly. The she cackled, throwing her head back. "Kidding! I can just tell," she said, her eyes still crinkled with laughter. "You seem really _chill_."

This girl was beyond unhinged. And oddly enough, Gray wasn't too bothered by it. After dealing with Juvia's special brand of crazy for so long, there wasn't much that could faze him at this point. Well, except… _her_.

Gray pushed the thought aside. He was here to forget, not to remember.

A sudden movement made Gray jerk back, startled.

"Hey, you still in there?" Flare was asking, snapping her fingers in his face.

"Yeah, sorry," he said. Gray let out an embarrassed chuckle, hand rising to rub the back of his neck.

Flare just grinned, leaning towards him. Her eyes smoldered like embers. "Are you afraid to play with fire?" she asked suddenly, head tilted to the side again.

"Huh?"

"Come on," she said, grabbing his wrist. She pulled him towards the dance floor.

Gray cringed. "I'm not really into this sort of stuff," he said. Gray wasn't clumsy by any means, but he had zero rhythm and even less desire to make a fool of himself. They were in public, after all. But he followed regardless, not putting up much of a fight.

Gray joined the mass of sweaty clubbers in the middle of the dance floor. The music pulsed. Gray could feel the bass pounding through his chest. Flare swayed in time to the beat, her arms in the air.

Awkwardly, Gray shifted his weight from one foot to the other, cringing as he heard a chuckle behind him.

Loke waved at him when Gray turned to see who it was. The cat-girl from before was on his arm. Gray recognized her as one of _her_ friends the Tower of Heaven.

"Let it go, Gray," teased Loke. "Let it go."

"Shut up," Gray snapped, the corners of his mouth turning down in a scowl.

"Aw, that's no way to be," said Loke. "Is it, Milli?" he asked his companion, making her giggle.

Flare put a firm hand on Gray's cheek, turning his head to face her. "Come on, Ice-Boy," she breathed. "It's not that hard." She grinned at him, performing a set of sharp movements. Her ruby eyes sparked with challenge.

Gray smirked, his competitive nature igniting in response. Flare was decisive. He liked that in a girl.

With crisp movements, he mimicked her steps. He was an Ice-Make wizard. If there was one thing he could do well, it was to imitate.

"Try and keep up," she cackled, launching into a more complicated series of steps.

Gray matched her move for move, the steps starting to feel more natural. Vaguely, Gray heard Cana whoop approvingly from across the bar. He must be getting a hang of this whole dancing business.

But that was whatever. He kept his eyes on the girl before him. Her hair rippled like liquid flame. Flare was pretty, in a wild sort of way. And nothing else mattered. Just him, her, and the adrenaline in his veins.

Gray surprised himself as he lifted her up, spinning her around. She laughed loudly, arms coming down to drape over his shoulders as he set her on her feet again.

Gray's pulse raced from the exertion and Flare's closeness.

"Are you afraid to play with fire?" she whispered, still trying to catch her breath. Her face was inches away from his. She leaned in slowly, tilting her head slightly.

Gray froze, mind whirring with memories of a very similar situation with a very different red-haired beauty. _Her_. He pulled away.

Gray shook his head, swallowing back the lump in his throat.

Surprise registered in Flare's eyes, her lips parting uncertainly.

"I can't risk getting burned again. I'm sorry," he said. And he meant it.

He hadn't meant for things to go so far so quickly. He wished he could turn back time so he could be a little more careful about getting caught up in Flare's unbridled enthusiasm.

More than that, he wished he could turn back time… and just ask _her_ out properly instead of being a such a wuss about it.

Gray felt a little guilty, the emotion like a lead weight in the bottom of his lungs. Flare wasn't _her_. It wasn't fair to compare them. And it really wasn't fair for him to have lead Flare on like that, but this really wasn't where he belonged.

Gray retreated from the dance floor without a backwards glance.

* * *

**Okay... now that we know who Mystery Girl #1 is, I can gush. **

**I so love Flare! While I absolutely don't buy her transition from baddie to ally, something about her post transformation personalty sort of spoke to me. She's kind of nutty, and I kind of like it. I don't usually think kooky is cute, but I really like Flare. To make her character work for Mazeverse, I had to tone back on her evil side and show glimpses of the sort of person she could become.**

**I had two inspirations for wanting to put Gray and Flare in a scenario together (other than the fact that I like them both and I was curious what would happen). One was that I took a fiction class back in college where we did a lot of peer read and review. One of the other students wrote a piece where the main character (a pretty ordinary middle-aged dude) fell in love with a frumpy carnival worker with a smoker's cough. I don't remember the rest, but obviously this part of the story stuck with me (I read this story once... 7-8 years ago). What stood out was that the love interest wasn't conventionally pretty, but the writer made her seem attractive in her own way. It was a really neat effect, so I wanted to try it. I wanted to make Flare, for all of her weirdness, seem attractive. Did I succeed?**

**The other inspiration was that I remembered a story I read on this site where Erza and Mira face off as part of their ongoing rivalry and at the end, Mira calls up all the white-haired characters, and Erza summons the other redheads. Because FT canon makes such a big deal about Erza and her scarlet hair, it never really dawned on me that Flare also had long red hair. So I thought that was fun.**

**But unfortunately, this fun is done-Gray's decided that Flare's not the girl for him. So on to Mystery Girl #2! Some of you have probably guessed what I'm doing, so it might not be that much of a mystery.  
**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] _****_**_Of Redheads, Warriors and Best Friends_**_****: **_"Don't even think about it," a steely voice declared._

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy Friday! Today, we get to meet Mystery Date #2...  
**

**Irina: Unfortunately for Gray, the weirdness will continue for him- but you're right in that it's not what he's going for. Flare will get her own arc in Mazeverse, because I think that if I want to make her appealing and attractive, that makes her shippable. So she will get an End Game of her own, at some point. If you want to propose a name for any ship that it looks like she might be getting into, let me know.**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Gray spied a free stool near the end of the bar. It was dark, quiet. No one would bother him there.

Ordering a drink, he sat down, hoping to be left alone with his thoughts. But he wasn't the only one.

"Don't even think about it," a steely voice declared.

Gray glanced to his left, seeing a woman in a well-decorated double-breasted jacket. She scowled.

Wow, someone was uptight.

Gray raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Easy, I'm just sitting."

She had an almost military bearing. The katana strapped to her side didn't look like it was just for show. Gray could tell that she was definitely a warrior.

But that didn't scare Gray. If anything, Gray found it oddly comforting, despite the unfriendly attitude. He knew her type.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I'd order a drink from you, but you don't look like a bartender," Gray said easily. Gray's hand closed around his drink. He could hear the clink of the ice cubes against the glass as they started to melt. He took another sip, letting the effects of the alcohol kick in.

She said nothing, nursing her own beverage.

"Come here often?" he asked, ignoring her unamused glare. A teasing smirk ghosted his features. "'Cause it doesn't look it to me," he added.

"The girls insisted that I come," she said shortly.

A wallflower. A girl after his own heart. She might be good company after all.

"Me too. I'm with _those_ two party-animals," Gray said, pointing out his guildmates. "That one's an animal, literally."

Loke had abandoned Eve in favor of his new lady friend. Cana had dragged a woozy looking Hibiki onto the dance floor. And was that Eve with… Flare? It was an odd sight, and Gray almost chuckled, but he was secretly glad that Flare had managed to bounce back so quickly. He would have felt bad if he had ruined her night.

"With the orange hair?" she asked slowly. Deliberately. Dangerously.

"Yeah, and the indoor sunglasses."

"That's with my guildmate he's with," she said, her voice lowering.

"He's harmless," said Gray. "A great big kitty cat, most of the time."

She clenched her teeth. "Millianna always had a weakness for cats," she sighed.

"So, you said you're part of a guild?" asked Gray.

"Yes."

He smirked. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," he said, lifting the bottom of his shirt to flash his guild mark at her.

"I think not," she said stiffly, but her cheeks flushed pink. Her eyes lingered on his torso before she averted her gaze. Gray found it oddly flattering that she was checking him out.

_She_ never did that.

"Well, at least tell me what guild you're in," said Gray.

"I'm with Mermaid Heel," she said. She lifted her chin proudly. It was an expression was all too familiar to Gray.

"That's that all-girls guild, right?" asked Gray. "I've heard of you guys."

"Your reputation proceeds you as well, Fairy Tail," she said.

So, she _did_ get a good look at his guild mark. Ha!

"You can call me Gray."

The warrior nodded stiffly. "I am Kagura Mikazuchi. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

"Pleasure's all mine," he said.

"How long have you been with your guild?" Kagura asked, surprising Gray by initiating the conversation.

"Since I was eight," he said proudly, pointing a thumb at himself. "I'm a Fairy Tail kid."

Kagura's expression only shifted subtly, with a slight widening of the eyes and a twitch of the lips. Kagura was impressed, Gray noted smugly. He recognized the expression easily. _She_ was the same way.

Gray sighed, draining the rest of his drink, letting the glass slam onto the bar. Then he ordered another.

If Gray closed his eyes, he could pretend. Almost. Because Kagura was just like _her. _Almost.

But almost wasn't good enough.

Kagura wasn't _her._ _She_ wasn't so easy to replace.

Erza…

Red hair and a warrior's spirit weren't enough. Those were superficial things that didn't really capture all that Erza was. And for as much as he liked those things about her, he liked all the other parts of her too.

He liked how she was socially awkward. How she was just way too bossy. How she never wanted to show her emotions because they would make her vulnerable. How she would show him anyways. How he could fluster her with a simple comment. How she was just Erza…

Lyon had given him some ridiculous crap line about letting go. Was he supposed to just let go? Like his feelings and the time that they'd shared didn't matter?

The truth was, he _had_ let her go. And not because he loved her or anything like that. No, it was because he couldn't stop her if he tried. She was independent that way. And he liked that… _loved_ that.

He didn't let her go because he loved her. He had to let her go because of what he loved _about_ her.

This would be harder than he thought.

"Hey, thanks," said Gray, pushing his half-finished drink away.

"What for?" asked Kagura, looking at him curiously.

"No reason," said Gray, flashing Kagura a terse smile. "Just thanks. Great talking to you."

"Are you leaving?" she asked, her voice expressionless.

"I told ya that I was only here for a drink, right?" said Gray with a shrug.

Kagura inclined her head, accepting his answer.

Gray headed back towards the dance floor.

This just wasn't working. Flare was too much like Erza. Kagura was too much like Erza. Okay, maybe he had a type. So, sue him, then! People had preferences and this was his.

But he was supposed to be forgetting about her. Meeting someone different.

Maybe he was doing this wrong.

* * *

**So who guessed that Kagura was going to be our girl? I dreamed up this part of the fic while watching the GMG arc. I remember thinking about how Erza-like Kagura was. Having started the third anime, I see that the original author did ultimately did take advantage of this by putting them together (along with Jellal) in the one battle. It was much easier to see how different they were. BTW, wiki says that we don't actually know where Kagura's guildmark is. And we still don't.  
**

**Looks like Flaray and Kagray are a no-go. But both Flare and Kagura will be paired up before the end. Since both ladies are side characters and the ships they end up in won't be mainstream, these ships will need a ship name (like Viperhat proposed Jendawg for when we write about Toby x Jenny). I'm open nominations for ship names!**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] _****_**_Of Redheads, Warriors and Best Friends_**,_**** Gray changes his approach: **_"Where am I!? What am I doing here? _Why are you naked?_" yelped Hibiki when his eyes fell on Gray._

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Friday! All I'm going to say about this week's chapter is... did anyone see this coming? XD  
**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Gray opened his eyes to the sensation of an elephant mashing its massive foot over his skull. He peeled his face off the couch slowly, sure that the imprint of the fabric had been pressed into the side of his face.

Normally, he was pretty good about respecting the line between fun and _too much_ fun. Gray had the feeling he was about to find himself on the too-much-fun side of the line. Lately, that seemed to be happening more often than it should.

His mouth tasted vaguely like cherry, and he was wearing nothing but his boxers. His clothes—shirt, pants, jacket, at least one shoe—had been tossed his in a pile on the floor.

What had he done last night?! He couldn't remember, which was probably a bad sign.

Gray shuffled into his bedroom, looking for something to wear that didn't smell like booze.

What he saw in his bed sent him stumbling, crashing to the floor when he couldn't recover his balance.

"What the… _Hibiki_?" shouted Gray.

The Pegasus mage looked a mess with his suit jacket crinkled and his tie wrapped around his head like a bandana. In his arms, he clutched Gray's _other shoe_.

Hibiki woke with a start, jolting up in bed with a hoarse shout. He blinked wildly, his hair sticking up in uneven tufts. "Whaa—?" Hibiki screeched. "Where am I!? What am I doing here? _Why are you naked?_" yelped Hibiki when his eyes fell on Gray.

The volume made him wince, but he couldn't even keep his own voice down, let alone worry about Hibiki's.

"I'm _always_ naked!" Gray shouted back, before he realized what a weird thing that was to shout at another man. On second thought, it would probably have been even weirder to shout that at one of the girls.

"That doesn't help," said Hibiki. "Would you put some clothes on before you scar me for life? And quit yelling."

"Just as soon as you get out of my bed," retorted Gray. Still, he fumbled for a change of clothes, wanting to be through with this humiliating situation as quickly as possible.

"Wait. _Your_ bed?" said Hibiki, scrambling to stand, but falling with a crash, tangled in the sheets.

"Yes, _my_ bed," said Gray, getting dressed quicker than he had ever remembered. Normally, he was better at getting his clothes off than putting them back on. Not today. "This is _my_ house…"

"Well, what am _I_ doing here?" said Hibiki.

"I don't know," said Gray. "What _are _you doing here?"

"_You_ don't know?" said Hibiki. "You mean you don't remember…"

Remember? Between the pounding in his skull and the early morning panic, last night was a complete blur.

"No. Do you?" said Gray.

"Sort of," said Hibiki. "I played Power Hour with Cana. She pretty much destroyed me, but it's Cana. Then, I think you came over and we ended up doing more shots."

"Cana?" croaked Gray.

Oh, crap.

* * *

Gray rejoined his friends on the dance floor, pushing through the throng of bodies. Loke had disappeared and so had Eve and Flare, but Cana and Hibiki were still jamming near the center of the room.

"Yo."

"Gray!" chirped Cana. "You're back."

"I'm back," said Gray. If he was going to do this, he might as well go along and try to have fun. Otherwise, he'd never be able to free himself of the constant thoughts of Erza.

"You strike out again?" she asked.

"I wouldn't call it that," said Gray. "She just wasn't my type."

"You mean she was totally your type, and the whole thing hit too close to home," retorted Cana.

"Your point?"

"Gray, you have to let it go. Do something fun. Wild. Crazy," Cana urged.

"That's not going to help," said Gray.

"What you're doing isn't helping," Cana said, her amber eyes surveying him seriously. "Yeah. At this rate, _nothing_ is going to help if you insist on being this way."

"All right, what would you do?"

"Another round of shots," said Cana without hesitation.

Of course. Just when he thought she was being serious, it had to go back to the alcohol.

"I'm serious, Gray," said Cana, almost as if reading his mind. "You're too uptight right now. You're thinking too much and second guessing everything. Silence those thoughts and give yourself permission to live in the moment. What would you do if nothing else mattered?"

What _would_ he do? Would he have kissed Flare? Would he have kept flirting with Kagura? Would he even be hesitating at the prospect of another round of shots?

"Yeah, let's do it," said Gray.

"Really?" asked Cana.

"Yeah," decided Gray.

Because why the heck not? At this point, it couldn't hurt.

"Yes!" cheered Cana, pumping her fist in the air.

"But nothing too crazy, okay?" hedged Gray. He didn't like how Cana's eyes lit up. "I've already started the night with a couple of whiskeys."

"You dork," laughed Cana. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you. Where'd Hibiki get off to? Come on, Hibiki! Gray's joining. This round's on me!" said Cana.

"Cana, no more shots," said Hibiki. "I'm done. I'm done."

"Just one more round," said Cana. "Come on."

"No, no, no," said Hibiki, waving a hand at her. "No more."

"It doesn't have to be shots. Cocktail. Rum and coke. Fruity, girly drink. Come on," wheedled Cana.

In the end, Cana ended up with a dozen tequila shots and, true to her word, she had paid for Hibiki's martini and some sort of mystery cocktail for Gray.

"You're crazy for letting her order for you," said Hibiki.

"Says the guy who played Power Hour with her," said Gray.

"She didn't give me a choice!" said Hibiki.

"You'll like it, I promise," Cana said to Gray. "You're a whiskey guy, right? This is bourbon, mostly. Well, less than mostly."

Gray eyed up the bright red glass that was set in front of him. An orange wedge had been pressed onto the rim of the glass and a single cherry floated amongst the ice cubes. It didn't taste bad either, the burn of alcohol having been muted by the unsurprising fruity taste.

"What do you think?" prompted Cana.

"It's different…" said Gray. It wasn't something he would have picked for himself, but he didn't dislike it.

"Different is good," said Cana.

"Different is good," agreed Gray.

Cana was different too. Cana was pretty much as far from Erza as he could get, unless he wanted to go the Lucy route. But still, Cana's company was nice, in its own way.

"You gonna eat that?" asked Cana, pointing at the fruit garnishing his drink.

"Go for it," he said.

Cana snatched away the fruits away, munching on the orange and sucking the juice from it before tossing the cherry into her mouth. She spit the pit into one of her empty glasses and a held out the knotted cherry stem between her clenched teeth.

"Still got it," bragged Cana with a cheeky grin before removing the stem from her lips with two fingers and dropping it into the glass as well.

"Only you would think that tying knots in cherry stems is a worthy hobby, Miss Cana," teased Hibiki.

"Think you could do better?" challenged Cana playfully.

"Unfortunately, no," said Hibiki. "I'll have to concede gracefully here."

"What's the big deal about that?" asked Gray. The cherry thing was just a parlor trick, wasn't it? It's the kind of stupid thing that he could see some of the guys at the guild getting all super competitive about.

Cana and Hibiki exchanged glances.

"What?" asked Gray. Was he missing something here?

Cana knocked back another shot of tequila. "I can show you, if you want. Wanna try something else different?" asked Cana.

"Why not?" said Gray. At this point, hanging out with Cana and Hibiki was more fun than he'd had all night. How bad could it possibly be?

Cana grinned, her eyes flashing wickedly as she put a hand against his jaw.

He couldn't tell if the alcohol was slowing his reactions or increasing the thrill that stirred in his chest at her dandelion-light touch. At some subconscious level, Gray knew what was coming next.

But he was still surprised when Cana's mouth connected with his.

* * *

**...and, Ladies and Gents, there's Gray's first kiss... Who called it? Anybody? XD  
**

**I know Gray probably feels OOC here. But I was trying to figure out what he'd be like when both moody (he's somewhere between sulking and throwing a tantrum, depending on who he's with) and now _drunk_ (again). No, he's not an alcoholic... this is just his vice of choice for venting his frustrations. But to what end?**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] _****_**_Of Redheads, Warriors and Best Friends_**,_**** Gray Gone Wild... and what happens after: **_He'd regret this tomorrow. But for now, Gray couldn't have cared less._

**Stop back next Friday for the final installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy Friday! This is the final chapter of _Of Redheads, Warriors, and Best Friends._ We're going out with a boom! ****I left you guys with a cliffie last time, so we're picking up right where we left off... with Cana kissing Gray.  
**

********(This is like the Cronut of FT ships... Does anyone remember Cronuts? Gotta try it at least once; the novelty makes fun on occasion.) ********

**Guest: They're both pretty interesting. I've done quite a bit of Gray and Erza shippy stuff, but this is my first Gray and Cana, so it was an interesting challenge. Thanks!**

**WonkyBookshelf: I would definitely do another (actual) Gray and Cana fic. This is such a rare pairing that i don't even remember who or what spurred the idea. ******I love Gray, and Cana's a fun character to write too, so they've always been interesting to me. **In this case, friends with benefits did cross my mind. As far as legitimately shipping these two, I think it could work under very specific circumstances. (I would say that about most ships, so that's not the most valuable comment...) But I think it would have to go back to a deeply-seated friendship, and growing up together. Gray and Cana were the first kids at the guild, so they've got a long history. There are other ways to approach it, but that would be the easiest. Let me think about that some more... As for Erza and the hair dryer... Little Miss Wedding Dresses could probably have handled that better, but she misses the boat regularly. I'm hoping that Gray is finally convinced (in his head) that there's no salvaging this one. In his heart, he's still not quite there yet, but that's part of the growing process. Almost like mourning a relationship after a breakup (if that makes sense), except they were never together, so there was nothing to break up. (Actually, I was inspired by watching others try to move on from relationships. When it's your own relationship, the wallowing feels justified. When it's your friend, you empathize to a point when you're tired of hearing their same old stories about their ex and you wonder why they can't just let it go. Well, Gray's that friend... for today.) As for him letting loose... sit tight. Read the end notes. See you soon! XD**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

What the heck? Was she kissing him?

Gray wasn't sure how long it had been, but she was done before he could register it enough to fully react.

Cana pulled away gently, ending with a playful nip at his upper lip.

"That's what it means. That someone's a good kisser," she breathed. "Is it true? Or is it just a load of crap?"

"Not sure," said Gray, still slightly dazed.

"Hm. I've always wondered what it would be like if we kissed," Cana told him. "You're probably right. Jury's still out on whether that was any good or not."

Gray's mouth still tingled from Cana's touch. He couldn't say that the thought of kissing Cana had ever crossed his mind, but that was more than just good. He had to admit that it had been pretty freaking awesome! Cana's sensual caresses had only served to escalate the amazing adrenaline rush. It was an incredible feeling.

Cana's words from earlier echoed through his head.

_Silence those thoughts and give yourself permission to live in the moment. What would you do if nothing else mattered?_

Gray let out a breath. So, what _would_ he do if nothing else mattered?

He'd kiss her again, that's what.

"Here's to living in the moment," he said, helping himself to one of Cana's tequila shots. He threw back the alcohol in a single, decisive gulp, slamming the empty glass on the counter.

Gray tugged Cana towards him, his hands planted at Cana's narrow waist. Then he slid them down to her hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, rocking in time to the music.

Gray dipped her backwards with a wicked growl that made Cana hoot with laughter. Then they were kissing, mouths moving against each other.

The pull of desire had his heart racing, but the way he was feeling was something else entirely. He'd never been so bold. So confident. He was feeling pretty good about himself.

He pressed her against the bar for leverage as he drew his teeth across her lower lip. She tasted like booze and maraschino cherries.

Gray felt the wild thrum in his veins as his hands roamed her bare back. He shivered as Cana ghosted the sensitive shell of his ear with her warm breath. Their kisses grew faster, bolder, greedier. Gray's senses were flooded with pleasure as he ravished her neck with kisses.

He'd regret this tomorrow. But for now, Gray couldn't have cared less.

* * *

Gray swore under his breath.

"What is it?" asked Hibiki.

"I have to go," said Gray, fumbling for his jacket and shoes. "When I get back, I want you gone. Like you were never here. Where's my other shoe?"

"This?" asked Hibiki, holding it up before tossing it at him.

"Thanks. See you later. Or, rather, let's not," said Gray.

"Good call," said Hibiki. "We'll never speak of this again."

"Hm-hmm," agreed Gray. "Never happened," he called over his shoulder.

Gray only wished he could brush away the rest of his transgressions from last night so easily. How could he have let himself go like that? He was such an idiot!

Why had he done that? What made him think that making out with Cana would be a good idea? Sure, it had felt great. But now, now he wished he could turn back time. And if not, he just hoped that nobody else saw.

Gray stumbled towards the guild, squinting against the brightness of the sky. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed… after he changed the sheets and disinfected everything since Hibiki had spent the night there. But that would have to wait. He had something more important to take care of first.

Oh, he was so stupid!

Yeah, she was gorgeous, and he was kinda drunk, and aside from the fact that he felt horribly guilty about it all, it had been almost amazing. But that was no excuse! Cana was his _friend_. He shouldn't have done that to her. If he wanted a cheap rebound, or a flirty fling, he really should have looked elsewhere.

He should have known better than to risk their friendship like that. She probably thought he was some kind of creep. What if she hated him for it?

He had to clear things up with Cana first and probably apologize. He owed her that much. Hopefully, it wasn't too late. Hopefully, he hadn't screwed things up beyond repair with Cana. Hopefully, she'd forgive him for being so freaking stupid.

The din of the guild hall made Gray wince as he lurched inside. He could feel a dozen pairs of eyes turning towards him, and he tried not to look as disheveled as he felt.

"Look what the cat dragged in," said Cana cheerfully. She had been talking with Laxus at the bar, but she waved him over to an empty seat on her other side.

Laxus narrowed his eyes, giving Gray a cool glare.

"Rough night?" Cana said, flashing him a knowing grin that made him cringe.

"About that…" said Gray.

"Say no more. Hey, Mira! Can we get some rum and coke over here?"

"Ugh, not more alcohol," groaned Gray.

"It'll help," said Cana. "Everyone knows that the best way to fight a hangover is the hair of the dog that bit ya."

Gray didn't even look at the drink that Mira placed in front of him. Never again.

"Drink up," said Cana, pushing the glass towards him. "I swear, it'll make you feel better. Trust me on this one."

"Cana!" Gray clamped a hand down on her wrist before tearing his hand away hastily.

"What's the matter?" she asked. But after a moment, her expression grew serious, her eyebrows scrunching in concern. "_Oh_. Right. Come with me."

Cana grabbed him by the arm and pulling him into the infirmary. Cana ushered him towards the bed that was furthest from the door, pulling the curtain shut behind them before dropping onto the bed.

"I guess we should talk, then," said Cana with a sigh.

What were they doing here? Why the infirmary?

"Oh, God. Please tell me we _didn't_," begged Gray.

"Didn't what?" asked Cana, shaking her head.

"Please tell me I didn't sleep with you…" he mouthed, dropping his aching head into his hands. He really didn't think that he had been that drunk.

This was getting worse and worse. What _else_ had he done last night? Did he kiss someone else? Did he go streaking through the park? Did he get married without knowing it? He must have made such a fool of himself.

"Oh. God, no! Why would I do that?" exclaimed Cana, flushing a blotchy shade of coral.

"I don't know…" said Gray. "You're the one blushing like crazy!"

"That's 'cause you're being weird about it!" retorted Cana shrilly.

"You're the one who dragged me in here," said Gray. "Oh, just forget it. About last night."

"Yeah? Pretty great, huh?" she said grinning.

The apology died on his lips. _Great?_ Great wasn't the word he would have used. He was _mortified_. But she didn't seem to mind at all.

That was a whole different problem. Maybe she wasn't upset because she was expecting them to start dating or something.

Gray let out a sigh. "Listen, Cana. You've been a really good friend, an amazing friend, since the start. And I want to keep being friends."

"Okay. Yeah, and?" she said, sounding genuinely confused.

"Last night, I took things too far. I sort of crossed a line that I shouldn't have, and I'm sorry. That kiss…"

Cana blinked curiously at his perplexed expression. Then she threw back her head and guffawed.

"You're such a dork…" sighed Cana, shaking her head.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Gray.

"Last night… was fun," said Cana. "That's all it was. It's a thing that two people do after having drinks at a club. No different than dancing or beer pong."

"Cana. So, you're telling me that you _didn't_ expect that to be the start of something more?" asked Gray, trying to be as clear as possible.

Cana shook her head. "I would say: 'let's do it again sometime,' but you're too boring and serious to be doing this on the regular, Gray. I think we've just proven that."

"So, you're _not_ disappointed that last night was a one-off sort of thing," said Gray, looking at Cana for confirmation.

"Beyond the fact that I think it's a shame, because you're a pretty good kisser? Seven and a half out of ten. With a little practice you could be a solid eight," teased Cana.

Cana's reassurances took a weight off his chest, but Gray still couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You're a good guy, Gray," said Cana. "A little too serious, but a good guy. Of course, we're still friends."

"No hard feelings?"

"No hard feelings," she said. "Don't worry. Nothing changes."

"Good," he said, letting himself deflate in relief.

* * *

****And here ends Mazeverse's shortest relationship. (Unless you're counting Flare or Kagura. Gray wasn't trying so that shouldn't really count.)  
****

****Hope you guys had fun with this little exploration into the world of weird and wacky. I would totally do more random Gray ships somewhere else. If this made you laugh, let me know with a comment or sub. (Can you hear my inner YouTuber coming out? lol!)  
****

****But for now... Gray needs to do something different. So another guildmate steps up to take a crack at meddling. Shoo-be-doo-bah! Yes, it's Gajeel's turn. And hopefully he's more successful than Cana was.****

**Stop back next Friday for _[Mazeverse] Musical Therapy_, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


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